Gene Stratton-Porter - Wildlflower Woods

Wildflower Woods is a section of land purchased in segments by Gene Stratton-Porter and later the State of Indiana. Gene purchased 120 acres originally from Daniel Sower and Charlotte Moyer starting in October of 1912. After her passing in 1924, sections of the land were sold off to the east of her home-leaving the forested areas to stand and a few acres around the Cabin. In 1997, roughly 14 forested acres were purchased from the Sower Family to complete Wildflower Woods. We have 24 acres of old growth forest, a combined forest of beech-maple-oak dominant species. One of the biggest trees on the property is Gene’s favorite tree, a chinquapin oak approximately 275 years old, with several other trees right around the same age. Our forest has an abundance of large trees-growing every which way to reach the sunlight and several species of moss and lichens carpet the forest floor, logs and tree trunks.

The work that Gene and Dr. Frank Wallace did in the native hardwood forest consisted of clearing some of the downed wood (where she was planning to build her Cabin), repairing damaged trees and treating trees that had diseases. Once the woods were in order Gene and her team started working on the gardens and grounds. Within the first few years the transplanted close to 3,000 plants, trees, shrubs and vines. Between 1912-1923 Gene and her staff transplanted over 17,000 plants to Wildflower Woods and she kept record of all the work. Gene Stratton-Porter truly created a sanctuary for all living things. Her beloved Wildflower Woods became her backdrop to many novels and articles.